Today is the last day NHL players can sign an eight-year extension before new CBA goes into effect, and if you are one of the many New York Ranger fans who have seen an influx of contracts get done and hope one is coming for Gabe Perreault, you are about to be disappointed.
In the weeks leading up today, we've seen Zeev Buium sign for eight years ($9.38 million), Fraser Minten sign for seven years ($7.2 million), Braeden Bowen sign for six years ($3.4 million), and Noah Ostlund sign for eight years ($6.6 million). Today Drake Batherson signed for eight years at $10.75 million, and Perreault's former teammate Ryan Leonard signed for eight years at $10.5 million.
Despite all of these deals, one for Perreault isn't coming, and that all has to do with how President and General Manager Chris Drury has decided to go about things.
Rangers didn't have extension talks with Perreault
The latest news comes via beat reporter Peter Baugh, and with the deadline hours away, it would be a shock if the two sides figured something out.
Have seen folks wondering about Gabe Perreault (RFA next summer) amid the rush of eight-year extensions before the CBA changes go into effect at midnight. There haven’t been any extension negotiations up to this point, I’ve been told.
— Peter Baugh (@Peter_Baugh) September 15, 2026
Ultimately it takes two to tango, and while it could be easy to get mad at Drury, there would be nothing stopping Perreault or his representation signaling interest in signing some type of deal. Personally, I believe Perreault believes in himself and his abilities as a player, and he wants to take advantage of the ever growing cap down the line.
Just looking at his NHL experience, Perreault appeared in 49 games and scored 12 goals while adding 15 assists for 27 points. Projected over the course of a full season, you are looking at a nearly 20 goal pace and 40 points while skating just 15:59 a night.
With Perreault expected to be a full-time member of the top six, and potentially a fixture on the top line, he could easily flirt with 25-plus goals and 60 points this season.
It is easy to overlook Perreault's pedigree
Most of these deals signed are teams taking a chance on paying a player a little more than they are currently worth, and reaping the savings as the contract ages. Perreault fell in the first round of his draft year, and it wasn't for lack of production.
He was star at Boston College who went on to finish with a line of 35-73-108 in 73 games across two seasons. Prior to joining BC, Perreault set the single-season scoring record for the USNDP team with a blistering 53 goals, 79 assists, and 132 points, a mark that puts him ahead of elite talent such as Auston Matthews, Jack Hughes, and future Hall of Famer Patrick Kane.
Perreault is someone used to hearing criticism, and given his nature for proving people wrong, I doubt he's rushing himself into a deal which would sell himself short. In many ways, Perreault is the focal point of the Rangers' future. Igor Shesterkin and Adam Fox are the team's top two players, and Pavel Dorofeyev is an interesting newcomer. Alberts Smits is the new toy in the prospect pool, and Alexis Lafrenière is still someone with long-term upside.
All of that being said, if Perreault were to reach his absolute ceiling which some feel could be Nikita Kucherov territory, that would be quite impactful for the Rangers and what they are trying to accomplish in the post Letter 2.0 retool. We ultimately don't know what Perreault is going to do, but when you consider his prior success, his limited sample, and the opportunities he should get in 2026-27... the lack of extension talks make a lot of sense.
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